The present invention relates to a face or nose mask for non-invasive ventilation of patients in general.
It is known that the main problem in long-term ventilation performed by means of a mask is the tolerability of the mask by the patient.
One of the most unpleasant and harmful effects arises from the compression of the skin that is produced by the sealing element provided in the perimetric region of the mask, which is pressed against the user""s face; this effect is particularly damaging at the upper nasal region.
The pressure applied by the mask in fact reduces blood flow in the affected part of the skin and in the long term causes pain and sores may form in the region.
In order to try to at least partially solve this problem, masks have already been provided in which the sealing element is formed in practice by an air-filled chamber or air cushion which, in order to reduce the period of contact with the skin, is in practice deflated at least at the upper part of the nasal septum during expiration, a step in which there is no need to provide a seal since the patient is expelling air. The chamber is then instantly reinflated during inspiration, thus forming a seal again and in practice reducing the time of contact between the skin and the inflatable chamber.
Also this solution has not proved to be particularly effective, since the inflation and deflation rate is closely dependent on the ratio between the expiration phase and the inspiration phase and because a relatively high residual pressure always remains and is applied by the mask to the skin.
The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the above-noted drawbacks, by providing a face or nose mask for non-invasive ventilation of patients in general which allows to reduce the time for which the pressure produced by the sealing element of the mask is applied, so that the above-mentioned problems do not occur since blood flow in the affected skin portion is possible at all times. Within the scope of this aim, a particular object of the present invention is to provide a face or nose mask in which the perfect seal of the mask with respect to the outside is ensured at all times but the region where pressure is applied to the skin changes continuously.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mask in which the system for inflating the sealing element is independent of the ventilation system, consequently allowing a wide range of adjustment for the pressure values used.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mask which, by way of its particular constructive characteristics, is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a face or nose mask for non-invasive ventilation of patients in general which can be easily obtained starting from commonly commercially available elements and materials and is also competitive from a purely economical point of view.
This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a face or nose mask for non-invasive ventilation of patients in general, according to the invention, which comprises a mask body provided with an inlet for connection to a ventilation apparatus and perimetrically provided with a sealing element for application to the face of a patient, characterized in that said sealing element comprises at least one first chamber and at least one second chamber which can be connected separately to a source of pressurized air.